Funding Foundation Learning

1. Funding Foundation Learning An introduction, and some key considerations Nick Whiteside, Aspire-i

3. Objectives To give you an understanding of the key features of funding rules, especially from August 2010 onwards To enable you to consider funding issues in planning your provision from August 2010 To ask for your opinions on how best to divide up the allocation by provider, with a view to designing a fair commissioning which will meet the contractual demands of the funding body

4. Agenda An overview of changes to funding How a funding calculation is made Using the Qualifications Catalogue to model funding Key questions for 2010-11

5. The Funding System “The Good Old Days” The LSC gave an allocation in “weeks” and “bonuses” We divided up the “weeks” and “bonuses” between providers Any adjustments got made in year

6. The Funding System The Present The LSC gives an allocation in Standard Learner Numbers (SLNs – more on these later!) and gives a target in both SLNs and learner Starts There is an SLN value per “week” and “bonus” We give allocations based on the above. Providers work predominantly on Starts, Weeks and Bonuses We aggregate results up at contract level back into SLNs

7. The Future The Local Authority (supported by the Young People’s Learning Agency) gives an allocation in SLNs All programmes are fundable by SLN values alone – no more “weeks” and “bonuses” The target given is on achieving SLN values and Starts We divide up the allocation by… The Funding System

8. The Funding System Right, so what’s an SLN? A Standard Learner Number is the unit of allocation It is seen as the equivalent of 450 guided learning hours (glh) Every qualification has a value in SLN, usually based on the number of guided learning hours it takes to deliver So, Certificate in Introduction to Hair & Beauty takes a notional 140 glh and therefore has an SLN value of 0.31; An Entry 3 award in PSD takes a notional 40 glh, and therefore has an SLN value of 0.09

9. The Funding System How are SLNs used in calculating funding? The funding calculation to get the whole allocation is: (SLNs x National Funding Rate) x Provider Factor + Additional Learning Support The National Funding Rate is the rate set by central government as the value of 1 SLN The provider factor is a multiplier based on a number of issues – including success rates, geographical location Additional Learning Support is a payment based on additional needs which learners might have because either they have disabilities or very low prior attainment.

10. You now have the basics of the funding system This gives you an understanding of the issues we will have to tackle this year in making allocations We’ll now look at how decisions on individual learners’ programmes are going to be affected by these factors Going back to the objectives…

11. Using the Qualifications Catalogue Please do try this at home! You will need: the details of the qualifications you intend to offer in the three areas of Vocational/Employability, Functional Skills and Personal & Social Development The Qualifications Catalogue (http://www.qcda.gov.uk/26859.aspx) Time, patience, a piece of paper and a calculator OR The LSC’s own modelling tool

12. Using the Qualifications Catalogue Look up the qualification you deliver in the catalogue It will give the glh value of your qualification - you can use NDAQ to find the guided learning hours and work out SLNs - Value = GLH/450 Do this for all of the qualifications you want to offer Total the SLN value We are going to assume that the National Funding Rate is £3,000 and the Provider factor is 1 for simplicity. Do the calculation (SLN total x £3,000) to give the total funding Again for simplicity, we will assume that the ALS is £200 per learner. Add this on. You now have your total

13. Using the Qualifications Catalogue An Example Using the Funding Tool Bob is doing Certificate in Travel & Leisure L1, Edexcel Functional English and ICT L1, Edexcel Functional Maths Entry 3, and ASDAN PSD Entry 3 Using the Qualifications Catalogue we can get the SLN values of 0.29, 0.24 for Functional Skills and 0.29 for PSD, totalling 0.82 0.82 x £3,000 = £2,460 funding Add £200 ALS. This means Bob’s total funding is £2,660

14. Using the Qualifications Catalogue Your turn! You can download this tool yourself from: http://www.lsc.gov.uk/providers/funding-policy/fundingtheflt/

15. An Additional Complication Entitlement Funding Where a learner is studying a course totalling 0.75 SLN or more, this qualifies them for Entitlement Funding Entitlement Funding is worth an additional 0.25 SLN It is intended to cover enrichment and additional activities …so we have to revisit Bob’s calculation

16. An Additional Complication Bob’s Funding Calculation The initial funding calculation was for 0.82 SLN and came out at £2,660 But now we know that Bob is entitled to Entitlement Funding so the actual SLN value is 1.07 So the calculation is actually 1.07 x £3,000 + £200, or £3,403.33 Try it yourself

17. Remember… This is just one individual – the total funding picture is all your learners’ calculations, put together To maximise your funding your learner needs to complete the programme and be successful in it. Chunks are payable when the learner has been on the programme at certain census points, and when they are successful; if they leave or fail, those payments don’t come

18. Key Issues for 2010-11 Learners have to be enrolled on qualifications to be funded The SLN value is based on guided learning hours – but the glh value doesn’t always reflect the actual input time needed If the SLN value is more than 0.75 entitlement funding is payable… …but the assumed average SLN is 0.64 per learner The system is far more complicated to administer and monitor The targets monitored will be starts and SLNs

19. Key Questions for 2010-11 What’s the fairest way to divide the Partnership allocation between Partners? Monthly monitoring and payment, or payment on profile? If a provider claims lots of starts but lower SLNs it isn’t a problem, but what steps should be taken if they claim lots of SLNs but too few starts? What’s the best way to plan around the issue of Entitlement Funding?

20. Thanks for your attention Any further questions?